Broadway
by Horsey Spike
Summary: Xander gets hurt. Spike's drinking. Xander gets un-hurt. Spoilers for BtVS, Season 4.


Title: Broadway (1/1)  
  
Author: Horsey Spike  
  
E-mail: HorseySpike@aol.com  
  
Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me. Joss and Co. owns them. Blah, blah, and blah.   
  
Distribution: SpikeNAngelFic archive and anyone else I've given permission to. All else, ask.  
  
Spoilers: Basic Season 4 of BtVS.   
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Xander's hurt. Spike's drinking. Xander gets unhurt.  
  
Author's Notes: Answer to Challenge #35 at YGTS?(http://ygts.cjb.net).   
_____________________  
  
~~Broadway is dark tonight   
A little bit weaker than you used to be   
Broadway is dark tonight   
See the young man sitting   
In the old man's bar   
Waiting for his turn to die ~~  
  
Xander was in his new apartment. His new, empty apartment. Empty, not as in lack of furniture, because, well, it came furnished. Empty, as in he was the only person there.   
  
He wasn't used to it quite yet. Wasn't familiar with it at all, actually. Before, while he was living at home, and then in the basement, there was his parents, so the house didn't feel as lonely. As well as various visitors, (Anya and Spike, plus the rest of the gang every so often.) he was never alone. When he moved in his new place, Anya moved in with him. Everything was great.  
  
Or, so he had thought.   
  
Apparently, after his loving speech he made to her, after talking to Buffy about Riley, she felt loved, and really secure. And she showed this by going through his things, and throwing out everything that she didn't like.   
  
And, in the process, ran across some momentos from his road trip after high school. Especially the part about him, and the Ladies Club. And the strippers.   
  
The male strippers.   
  
She hadn't liked that fact too well. She hadn't liked it at all, really, and she showed her displeasure in those facts by the loud and angry words that greeted him when he came home from work.   
  
The loud and angry words that said she couldn't be with a man that wasn't true to his male for female urges. She demanded to know if he liked being with other males. She cried harsh, bitter tears when he couldn't answer her questions straight on. She left the apartment, slamming the door behind her, declaring that she was giving up on the male race although. She hadn't like it when she was a demon, why should she like it know?  
  
~~The cowboy kills the rock star   
And Friday night's gone too far   
The dim light hides the years   
On all the faded girls~~  
  
Xander felt like drinking. A lot.   
  
He didn't understand. He confesses his love for this person, and now she's gone. He fell madly in love with her over the course of the past year, and she was suddenly gone, with barely a year behind them. A year of being a couple.   
  
He banged his fist in the counter, where he had been standing in shock for the past however long it'd been since she slammed the door, and suddenly decided it was time to go out. br  
  
~~Forgotten but not gone   
You drink it off your mind   
You talk about the world   
Like it's someplace that you've been~~  
  
Outside wasn't much better. The wind was chillier than the air in the apartment, but the feeling was the same. He had been dumped. Again. Why do the best things in his life, that he really cares about, slip through his fingers?   
  
First, Cordelia. He messed up with her by messing around with Willow. It was all his fault. But, with Anya, all he did was have a road trip. All right, maybe she didn't like the stripper thing. But, it happened before she'd come back. Why did it matter?  
  
He shook his head slowly, trying to shake the memories and thoughts away, as he shoved his hands deep into the coat pockets of the coat he had remembered to grab before heading out the door.   
  
His fingers brushed something cold in the recesses of the left pocket. He closed his hand around it, and brought it up to look at.   
  
Silver. It was the silver necklace that he had gotten her right after his job promotion, and she had given it to him to hold during a patrol, when she didn't want it damaged. It reminded him of the one he had given Cordy, but she had picked it out, and he agreed. He had been in a great mood that day.  
  
Rubbing the charm of the necklace between his fingers as he walked, he didn't notice the fact he had walked straight to Willy's. Pushing the door open, still holding the necklace he went inside.  
  
The atmosphere was the same, be it day or night. It wasn't late enough for it to be closed, but it was late enough for all the humans to be gone, and the vampires, and other night-walking/crawling/slithering creatures were still there. br  
  
~~You see you'd love to run home   
But you know you ain't got one   
And you're livin' in a world   
That you're best forgotten around here~~  
  
Xander suddenly felt sick. He needed alcohol. He needed to get away from his life, if just for a few minutes, so he could objectively look at everything that had happened in his life in the last couple hours. But, where would that ever happen?  
  
"What can I get ya?" Willy asked him, wiping down the counter in front of Xander.   
  
Xander started, not expecting any other being to talk to him, and looked up from his fingers holding the necklace. But before he could answer, a string of loud, slightly drunken curses were emitted from the far side of the bar.  
  
"God damn it, Willy! Why can't you have any good fuckin' music in this God forsaken jukebox! None of the new stuff. No bleedin' Sex Pistols!"  
  
Willy sighed, and dropped his rag. "I told you before, Spike, if you want different tunes, you supply them yourself."   
  
Spike! Xander's brain was jolted awake, and he looked up to see the blond vampire stagger slightly to the bar, while muttering, "I would bring them, but bleedin' Harm's a freakin' pyro."   
  
He slumped down into the seat one down from Xander, and pounded his fist on the bar counter top.   
  
"Another one, Willy my boy." He paused, and scowled at the little man. "And you don't even have bloody Velvet Chain! I mean, that's almost as bad as not having the Sex Pistols."   
  
He leaned closer to Xander conspiratorially, "Ya know, if I didn't know better, I'd think my poofy sire picked the music. But he's waaaaayy faaar awaaay," Spike made a big long motion with his arm, smacking Xander in the head, "in the far city of Llllll Aaaaaa."   
  
Xander rubbed his forehead with the hand holding Anya's silver necklace, and Spike's eyes immediately lit up on it.   
  
"Spike." Willy said in warning.  
  
"Whaat?" Spike whined. "You're always yelling at me Willy. Just leave me alone. And where the hell is my new drink?!"  
  
Willy heaved a big sigh. The blond vampire had gone slightly bitchy in his old age.  
  
"You don't got any credit anymore, Spike. Last drink maxed ya out." Willy said, shying away from Spike.   
  
"WHAT!?" The blond vampire cried, outraged. "Always cheatin' me Willy. Here," he grabbed the necklace out of Xander's hand. "Take the boy's necklace. Would look silly on him anyway." He tossed the necklace at Willy, and Willy examined the piece of jewelry, and shrugged. "Fine by me." br  
  
~~Broadway is dark tonight   
A little bit weaker than you used to be   
Broadway is dark tonight   
See the young man sitting   
In the old man's bar   
Waiting for his turn to die~~   
  
"Get the boy a drink as well. He'll have the same as me."   
  
Willy gave the vampire a look, then shook his head. He fixed their drinks, leaving out the blood in Xander's.   
  
"So," Spike said, waving his drink around, accenting his speech. "Why'd ya doing here, whelp? You're not turning out like Farm Boy, right? Hate how that one ended up."   
  
"Yeah, Spike, you're real sorry."  
  
Xander swirled his drink around in the glass, not caring that it was Anya's necklace that was buying his and the vampire's drinks. He was beyond caring on many fronts. Including the one where he was drinking with a blond vampire.   
  
"Yeah. I am." Spike looked strangely serious. "He was a real piece of work. Government sure got into him, would've made a fine vampire. Following sire's orders and such. Not at all like I was."   
  
"Yeah, Spike, I bet you never followed any of Angelus's orders." Xander said sarcastically, downing a bit of his drink, and wincing when it burned down his throat. "What is this?"  
  
"My own special mixture. Willy makes it for me. 'Cause I'm his favorite costumer."  
  
"Yeah, Spike, I enjoy the company." Willy muttered under his, wiping the counter, keeping a close watch on the vampire and the dark-haired boy.   
  
"Ah, shuddup ya bloody wanker!" Spike gestured at Willy with his drink, splashing his blood and alcohol mix on the little man. Willy scowled at the vampire, but Spike paid no mind.  
  
"So, Xan-der." He said, accenting the syllables in his name. "Whatter you doin' here? Anya dump ya?"  
  
Xander didn't say anything, he just looked in his drink, and asked it why, oh, why, did he have to put up with Spike, now, at this moment in time? And why Spike had to be so damned perspective?  
  
"She did!" Spike crowed gleefully. "Demon girl dumped you. Sorry, mate, can't say I feel sorry for you. But, hey, be glad it happened while she was human, and not a demon. You could be hanging by your entrails, from the lightpost, out in Town Square, where everyone is laughing at you, and still be alive."  
  
Xander inwardly blanched at the thought, but also admitted to himself that Spike was right, and he was glad Anya wasn't a demon. Or, he'd be hanging by his entrails.   
  
"Well, I know how you feel." Spike stated, putting his drink down, and poking himself in the chest. "I, William the Bloody, know exactly how Xander the Whelp feels."  
  
"Really?" Xander asked, sarcastically. "Tell me how. Dru dumped you over two years ago."   
  
"I wasn't going to say Dru, mate, cause she's back in the States, and I'm getting ready to rendezvous with her. Head back home, if ya know what I mean." Spike winked, and nudged Xander with his arm. Somehow, during the previous exchanges, Spike had moved closer to Xander.   
  
"Home?" Xander asked, "I thought you were going to tell me how you know how I feel."  
  
"Xan," Spike slurred, "You gotta drink more. That didn't make any sense to me."  
  
Xander gave Spike a look, and downed the rest of his drink.   
  
"Good boy. Now, I was getting to the feelin' part, but you humans are always rush, rush, rush. In my day, we took our time going anywhere, In my day..."  
  
Xander tuned Spike out, as he droned on and on. Just what Xander needed. A drunk vampire, intent on telling his life story. All xander could think about was Anya, despite his self-made protests that he wasn't thinking about her.   
  
"And the feeling part." Spike was saying when Xander tuned back in. "I know exactly how you feel."  
  
Spike reached inside his jacket, and pulled out a fluffy, pink pig.  
  
Mr. Gordo.  
  
Xander looked away. He didn't want to know how Spike stole Buffy prized pig. He just shook his head, and dropped his head on the top of the bar.   
  
"Now, I bet your wonderin' how I got my hands on the Slayer's little piggy wiggy. Well, I was in her room, and saw it, and stuffed in my jacket. Then I started smelling her stuff, like that sweater she was wearing the day before. The pretty pink one, that made her breasts look so," Spike made a little grunting noise, and although Xander couldn't see it, squeezed his hands in the air before him.   
  
Xander lifted his head up, and stared at Spike incredulously. He didn't want to sit with the blond anymore. It was spiraling way out of control, and he was losing focus of his priorities. He was losing his anger and depression at Anya's actions. He was discovering he could put the love aside, and feel nothing. It frightened him.   
  
He wondered if this was how Riley felt, like he didn't really belong, but he did, and he didn't again, and Spike was still talking.  
  
"... And I said, 'You don't got the stones.' And she gets all defensive, and I realize that she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Not more than Dru, because no one can match my baby, not even her, but..."  
  
Xander tuned back out again, shaking his glass for Willy to refill. He figured the necklace had to have another couple drinks on it, and he'd be damned if he let Spike drink them all. br  
  
~~You choke down all your anger   
Forget your only son   
You pray to statues when you sober up for fun   
Your anger don't impress me  
The world slapped in your face  
It always rains like hell on the losers day parade~~  
  
Xander felt like it should be raining. He felt like he was sinking, and at the same time rising. He began to console himself, listening to the vampire in the background. Yeah, the vampire was actually making sense now.  
  
"So, I said, 'Fine, leave, I don't care. I can live without you, you know.' And she just looked at me, and left with the little smile on her face, talking about how the stars were speaking, or some mess like that, and this is bloody fate, I tell you! She's back, and I'm gonna meet up with her again, and she's gonna use that pretty little head of hers to get the chip out of my skull, and it won't be some crackpot with a penny this time, and I'll be free, and it'll be a reunion. I'll be with my daddy, and my love, and things will be fine again."  
  
Xander stared at the vampire. Maybe he wasn't making sense at all.   
  
The blond vampire stood up, rather unsteadily, full of energy, and ready to do... whatever it is he was going to do.   
  
Xander watched as the vampire stumbled back a few paces, muttering, "Spot spinning, Xanny, I gots to tell you somethin'."  
  
Xander rolled his eyes, wondering what on earth this blond freak could tell him that might make him feel better, because otherwise it wasn't worth listening.   
  
Spike shook his finger at the Xanders in front of him, leaving his last words of wisdom. "Love is always the fault that kills..." And with that, he stumbled away, singing under his breath, "Off to see the sire, the wonderful, poofy sire of LA..."  
  
Xander turned back to Willy.   
  
"Don't ask me. He's been in here every night this week, muttering about going to see Angel. I don't question that one. But, he'll be back here tomorrow. He makes it about halfway out of town, until he's sober, then turns right back."  
  
Xander looked away. Now that the blond bimbo vampire, the male one, had gone away, he was left alone again. With his little problem. As much as he tried to convince himself that he didn't need Anya, that he didn't love her, she was all he could think about. Naturally.  
  
Her hair, her smile, her body, her expressions, her voice, her eyes...  
  
The list went on and on.   
  
"Hey, kid." Willy said, looking intently at Xander.   
  
When Xander looked up, Willy held out Anya's silver necklace. "Take it. I don't need it. Spike had more credit than I told him. I just wanted him gone this evening. Been a real pain in the ass this evening."  
  
Xander wordlessly held out his hand for the necklace, despite the remark he wanted to make about Spike always being a pain in the ass. Willy dropped it in his hand.   
  
Xander looked back down at his empty glass, too shy to ask for a refill, and not knowing if he wanted to put the necklace back into Willy's hands. Right now, that was his one momento of Anya. She had packed up the rest of her stuff. But, momentos tended to bring bad things to him, like the things brought from the male strip joint. Blah. This was really unfair.   
  
But when is life ever fair? He asked himself.   
  
Willy noted the his empty glass state, and decided to help him fix that.  
  
"You wanna know why Spike has such good credit around here?" Willy asked the boy, leaning closer and dropping his voice.   
  
"Why?" Xander asked in a dry, sarcastic, not really wanting to know kind of way.  
  
"Because the big guy is paying for it." At Xander blank look, Willy clarified. "Angel. He's picking up his boy's tab. So, Spike basiclly has unlimited credit. But the thing is, Spike doesn't know that. He thinks I'm being nice and serving drinks half off, and pawning his junk. Truth, I'm chargin' Angel twice as much, and no one is the wiser.   
  
"So, I don't think anyone would mind me putting the Slayer's bud on the broody vampire's tab."   
  
Xander considered, than shook his head.   
  
"Nah. I need to walk."   
  
"Alright. Just remember, I'm here to listen."  
  
"Yeah." Xander said, pushing away from the bar, and heading outside.   
  
Once outside, he reached inside his pocket, where he had put Anya's necklace, and pulled it out. He started walking, watching the necklace, warming it in his fingers.  
  
He wasn't watching where he was going , and ran right into someone, who also wasn't watching where they were going.   
  
"Sorry." He murmered, walking away from the person. But something told him to look up, and when he did, he was looking into Anya's eyes.   
  
"Anya." He said, hastily shoving the necklace into his pocket, not knowing he left the chain showing.  
  
"Xander." She replied. She licked her lips.   
  
"I-" "I-" They started at the same time.   
  
"You first." Xander said, preparing himself for more brutal beatings with her tongue and voice.  
  
"I was wrong, Xander. As much as I hate myself for admitting this, I blew things out of proportion. I wouldn't blame you if you called the Patron for Scorned Men, but I know he'll never answer. He's very unpredictable like that."  
  
Xander gaped wide-eyed and open mouthed at her.  
  
Her gaze drifted down when he didn't respond right away, and her eyes alighted on the silver chain hanging out of his pocket. She pulled it out, and held it before her, dangling the charm in front of their eyes.   
  
"You kept this? Even after all the horrid things I said to you?"  
  
Xander nodded mutely.   
  
"Xander, will you take me back?"   
  
Xander paused for a second. Did he love this woman enough that he would take her back, even after everythign that she had said, even if it meant chancing his heart to be broken again?  
  
Yes, he said, inside of himself. He would take that risk, and he would love her with everything inside.   
  
"yes." He breathed out with his air. "Yes."  
  
A smile went across Anya's face, and she launched herself at Xander, the necklace tight in her grip.   
  
"I love you, Xander." She whispered in his ear. "I realize it now."BR  
  
Xander smiled, pulling her tighted in his arms.   
  
And then they headed home, to where he wasn't so alone anymore.  
  
~~Broadway is dark tonight   
A little bit weaker than you used to be   
Broadway is dark tonight   
See the young man sitting   
In the old man's bar   
Waiting for his turn to die~~   
  
  
-End  
  



End file.
